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Prepositions of time

Prepositions of time

Instructions:

As you watch the video, look at the examples of prepositions of time. They are in red in the subtitles. Then read the conversation below to learn more. Finally, do the grammar exercises to check you understand, and can use, prepositions of time correctly.

52

Daisy is at home. She has a note for Sophie from the headmaster …

We use many different prepositions for talking about time. Here we are looking at: in, on, at, during and for.

We use in, on and at for lots of different times. Here’s a table comparing the uses:

in

on

at

Months: in January / in AprilSeasons: in spring / in winterYears: in 1984 / in 2015Centuries: in the 20th centuryTimes of day: in the morning / in the eveningLonger periods of time: in the past / in the 1990s / in the holidays

Days of the week: on MondayDays + parts of days: on Tuesday afternoon / on Saturday morningsDates: on November 22ndSpecial days: on my birthday / on New Year’s Eve

Clock times: at 7.30 a.m. / at 5 o’clockFestivals: at Christmas / at EasterExceptions: at night / at the weekend

Wow! That’s a lot of uses! So I have to learn all those?

Yes, but you probably know most of them, don’t you?

Yes, maybe … Is that all of them? I mean, are there any exceptions?

Well, sometimes we don’t use a preposition of time, for example after next/this/last/every.

We go skateboarding every Saturday afternoon.
I’ll see you next Friday.

Mm, but I could also say: “I’ll see you on Friday.”

Oh yes, that's fine too. But we often leave out on with days of the week when we’re speaking.

I’ll see you Friday.

OK. Now, about dates ... You write “on 8th July” but how do you say that?

Good question! We say “on the eighth of July”.

OK, so I have to remember to say “on THE eighth OF July”.

Exactly.

One last question about in. Can I use it for the future, as in “I’ll do it in a minute”?

Yes, that’s very common. We use in for talking about something in the future a certain length of time from now.

She’ll be back in a moment.
We’re going away in two weeks.

And can I say, “We’re going away for two weeks”?

Yes, but the meaning is completely different.

We’re going away in two weeks. (= we leave two weeks from now)
We’re going away for two weeks. (= our holiday will be two weeks long)

Ah, and what about “We’re going away during two weeks”?

No, you can’t say that. We use for + a length of time, to say how long something goes on for, and during + a noun / noun phrase, to say when something happens.

It snowed for three hours.
It snowed during the night.

OK, that’s a useful rule. But, hang on, I can also say “It snowed in the night”.

Yes, absolutely.

And: “I did a lot of work in the holidays” or “I did a lot of work during the holidays”?

Yes, you’ve got the hang of this.

Good, so now I’m going to study for a few hours. I’ll see you on Tuesday, in the morning, at about 10 o’clock.

Transcript:

Daisy: Hi, Mum, How's it going?Sophie: Fine thanks, honey. How was school?Daisy: Good. I've got a note for you from Mr Oliveira.Sophie: Who's Mr Oliveira? Your Portuguese teacher?Daisy: I don't study Portuguese, Mum. You know that.Sophie: True. But you could. It's a very useful language. They speak it in Brazil ...Daisy: Mum, he's the new headmaster at college. And he isn't Portuguese – or Brazilian. He's British. But I think he said his parents are from Goa.Sophie: Goa? Wow. The headmaster ... Ah yes, I remember him. I met him at Christmas when I went to your school for that concert. In December, anyway. A very nice man, yes.Daisy: Mum ...Sophie: It would be good to speak to him about his parents' country. I could interview him, then visit Goa in summer … no, too hot maybe ... in autumn ...Daisy: Well, he'd like to see you again too.Sophie: Really?Daisy: He wants you to go into school on Monday or Tuesday next week.Sophie: Oh? Have you done something wrong?Daisy: No, of course not! You know me. He wants to ask if you can give a talk about your work and your blog, your travels, that sort of thing. One day in April, during Careers Week.Sophie: So on Monday or Tuesday? What time?Daisy: In the afternoon or in the early evening. At 5 o'clock, if you can.Sophie: Hmm. I can go at half past four on Tuesday, if that's OK.Daisy: I'll ask.Sophie: Let me see. I'm away in Moscow for three days in April ... but during your school holidays, I think. I'm going to Russia to write about traditions at Easter – oh, and then I'm away again at the end of the month. But I'm at home for two or three weeks. I can't go on Monday evening, because I have a tai chi class, and then I have to work at night. I have a video call at midnight ... Yes, definitely. I'll go in on Tuesday afternoon.Daisy: Can you write a note or send him an email, please?Sophie: I'll phone him during the day tomorrow. I'm free for a few hours in the morning.Daisy: OK, I'll tell him. Where are you?Sophie: Here in town. I'm at the travel agent's. I'm chatting to your friend Jenna – I hadn't seen her for months! I didn't know she was working here; she's organising my flights to Russia. Do you want to speak to her? Daisy: No, it's OK, I'll see her at the weekend. We're going to a party on Saturday night.Sophie: OK, well I'll be home in about an hour – at about 7 o'clock probably. Pizza and a DVD tonight?

Comments

My favourite day of the week is Friday because the next day I don't get up early. In the morning I have a walk with my friends and we go to the cinema in the afternoon. In the evening I play cards with my father and brother and we have a good time so this is the best part of the day for me.

Hello:
Can you help me, please?
I want to listen videos and audios to understand English language but it's very difficult for me.
I'm listening them so much time. I don't problem to write or reading, although, I have problems to talk and to understand videos and audios. I have ear too hard.

Hi Henutsen,
Don't panic! Listening is a difficult skill for many learners. I suggest you start by going to our Listening skills practice section. Start with Level A1 that is quite easy and listen to the audio and do the exercises. If A1 is too easy, move up to A2 then B1. Listen as many times as you need to and use the transcripts to help you. The important thing to remember is that you don't have to understand every word to get the general idea. Also, if you are watching videos you have the images to help you understand what is happening in the clip. You could try some of the videos in Video UK too. They are quite easy to follow.
With best wishes, Jo (LearnEnglish Teens Team)

Thank you very much for your soon answer Jo.
I listened Level A1 and A2 and both were very easy, but B1 is very difficult for me. In the videos or audios speak very fast.
I will go your advice and will repeat as many times as I need.

One more question: Is there an order to follow videos grammar?
Thanks for everything.
Henutsen

Hi Henutsen,
That's great to hear that you've found the right level to start working on in the Listening skills practice section. If B1 is difficult, make sure you have done all the A2 listenings first. In case you need more information about our levels have a look at this page: http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/cef-levels Then start slowly on B1 and listen to each one as many times as you need. You have the transcripts there to help you if you find it difficult at first.
About the Grammar videos. There isn't an order to follow. The idea is that you choose the grammar points yourself as all of our users have different needs and areas of grammar that they need to work on. So just start with any of them that you think are useful for you.
I hope this helps.
Best wishes and good luck! Jo (LearnEnglish Teens Team)

My favourite day is sunday as i have lot of leisure time on that day. I used to wake up at 8 o' clock but as now i am free,, i wake up at 9 o' clock. I spend my whole day playing games and watching tv.

My favorite days of the week are Friday, Thursday and ofcourse Saturday because I get to wake up late and get to meet my friends. On thursday and Friday i wake up at 7:30am and on Saturdaay 11:00 / 10:00 O clock :)

My favourite day of the week is Saturday. On Saturday I usually get up at 9 o'clock. When I get up I usually read books, watch TV or just relaxing in my living room. I love Saturdays because on Saturday I always have a free time, to watch series, read books or workout sometimes. I also do my homework on Saturdays and study for the exams.

Hi! My favourite day is Saturday. I wake up in the morning, than I have breakfest at 10:00 o'clock. A go out and meet with my friends. I'm not at home about 3 houres. When I come home, I have lunch at 14:00. Than I go online about 2 houres. When i finsh, my mum than is at home, and I usualy help her in some home works.At 19:00 I have dinner. And at the night, I usualy relax, sometimes with my family, sometimes with some good book, some movie or i even don't relax. I study.
Mm the best part, i think that will be night. I don't know way, I just love it

Hi! Good question. There's a small difference. New Year's Eve is just one day (31st Dec), but Easter is actually several days. We use 'at' for festivals that are several days long. Here are some examples:

at Christmas (including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day)

at New Year (including New Year's Eve and New Year's Day)

at Ramadan (lasts about a month)

But if you're just talking about one day, use 'on' (for example, 'on New Year's Day'). Does that make sense?

My favourite day of the week is Saturday. Usually, I wake up at 8 o'clock .
Saturday is a holiday and we don't go to the school. So I can go out with friends, read a book, surf in the net, watch a movie or play games such as basketball or volleyball.
Greetings from Albania :D ^_^

Hi,I started to pactice sport in 2008 till now almost evry day on the week at 12h oclock, I like sport so much and i like English too, I started learning English in 2010,I paractice almost evry day in the evening for an hour but on holiday I stady more , now I can make conversation and talk with anyone.
at school i don't speak a lot , but now it's okey.

1.My favorite day of the week is Saturday.
2.I wake up at 12 o'clock in the ,, morning ''.
3.I usually watch TV when I'm bored.
4.The best part of the day is evening , because that's the movie night that I spend with my family. :)